Digital Twins Concepts, Challenges, and Future Trends

2021 ◽  
pp. 48-60
Author(s):  
Amged Sayed A. Mahmoud ◽  
Ezz El-Din Hemdan
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Functional Description ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Digital Twins

Digital twin has gained a great interest during the last few years from academia and industry because of the development in IT technology, communication field, and sensor technology. The general vision of the DT is to provide a detailed physical and functional description of a component, product, and systems. Nevertheless, the digital twin is a highly dynamic concept growing in complexity during the product life cycle, which leads to an enormous amount of data and information. Motivated by these, this chapter investigates the concepts and architecture of DT to cover its challenges and explore its applications in various fields such as smart cities, smart manufacturing and factories, and healthcare sectors. In the end, the challenges and research areas will be presented.

scholarly journals Early Stage Digital Twins for Early Stage Engineering Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 2557-2566 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Edward Jones ◽  
Chris Snider ◽  
Lee Kent ◽  
Ben Hicks
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
The Other ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Design Cycle ◽  
Revision Control ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACTWhile extensive modelling - both physical and virtual - is imperative to develop right-first-time products, the parallel use of virtual and physical models gives rise to two interrelated issues: the lack of revision control for physical prototypes; and the need for designers to manually inspect, measure, and interpret modifications to either virtual or physical models, for subsequent update of the other. The Digital Twin paradigm addresses similar problems later in the product life-cycle, and while these digital twins, or the “twinning” process, have shown significant value, there is little work to date on their implementation in the earlier design stages. With large prospective benefits in increased product understanding, performance, and reduced design cycle time and cost, this paper explores the concept of using the Digital Twin in early design, including an introduction to digital twinning, examination of opportunities for and challenges of their implementation, a presentation of the structure of Early Stage Twins, and evaluation via two implementation cases.

scholarly journals Sustainability Requirements of Digital Twin-Based Systems: A Meta Systematic Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5519
Author(s):  
Rui Carvalho ◽  
Alberto Rodrigues da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Data Communication ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Reducing Costs

Sustainable development was defined by the UN in 1987 as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and this is a core concept in this paper. This work acknowledges the three dimensions of sustainability, i.e., economic, social, and environmental, but its focus is on this last one. A digital twin (DT) is frequently described as a physical entity with a virtual counterpart, and the data, connections between the two, implying the existence of connectors and blocks for efficient and effective data communication. This paper provides a meta systematic literature review (SLR) (i.e., an SLR of SLRs) regarding the sustainability requirements of DT-based systems. Numerous papers on the subject of DT were also selected because they cited the analyzed SLRs and were considered relevant to the purposes of this research. From the selection and analysis of 29 papers, several limitations and challenges were identified: the perceived benefits of DTs are not clearly understood; DTs across the product life cycle or the DT life cycle are not sufficiently studied; it is not clear how DTs can contribute to reducing costs or supporting decision-making; technical implementation of DTs must be improved and better integrated in the context of the IoT; the level of fidelity of DTs is not entirely evaluated in terms of their parameters, accuracy, and level of abstraction; and the ownership of data stored within DTs should be better understood. Furthermore, from our research, it was not possible to find a paper discussing DTs only in regard to environmental sustainability.

Digital Twin for Smart Manufacturing: The Practitioner’s Perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Bärring ◽  
Björn Johansson ◽  
Goudong Shao
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
New Information ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Discrete Manufacturing ◽  
Design Production

Abstract The manufacturing sector is experiencing a technological paradigm shift, where new information technology (IT) concepts can help digitize product design, production systems, and manufacturing processes. One of such concepts is Digital Twin and researchers have made some advancement on both its conceptual development and technological implementations. However, in practice, there are many different definitions of the digital-twin concept. These different definitions have created a lot of confusion for practitioners, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, the adoption and implementation of the digital-twin concept in manufacturing have been difficult and slow. In this paper, we report our findings from a survey of companies (both large and small) regarding their understanding and acceptance of the digital-twin concept. Five supply-chain companies from discrete manufacturing and one trade organization representing suppliers in the automotive business were interviewed. Their operations have been studied to understand their current digital maturity levels and articulate their needs for digital solutions to stay competitive. This paper presents the results of the research including the viewpoints of these companies in terms of opportunities and challenges for implementing digital twins.

scholarly journals Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Dembski ◽  
Uwe Wössner ◽  
Mike Letzgus ◽  
Michael Ruddat ◽  
Claudia Yamu
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Collaborative Processes ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Collaboration And Communication

Cities are complex systems connected to economic, ecological, and demographic conditions and change. They are also characterized by diverging perceptions and interests of citizens and stakeholders. Thus, in the arena of urban planning, we are in need of approaches that are able to cope not only with urban complexity but also allow for participatory and collaborative processes to empower citizens. This to create democratic cities. Connected to the field of smart cities and citizens, we present in this paper, the prototype of an urban digital twin for the 30,000-people town of Herrenberg in Germany. Urban digital twins are sophisticated data models allowing for collaborative processes. The herein presented prototype comprises (1) a 3D model of the built environment, (2) a street network model using the theory and method of space syntax, (3) an urban mobility simulation, (4) a wind flow simulation, and (5) a number of empirical quantitative and qualitative data using volunteered geographic information (VGI). In addition, the urban digital twin was implemented in a visualization platform for virtual reality and was presented to the general public during diverse public participatory processes, as well as in the framework of the “Morgenstadt Werkstatt” (Tomorrow’s Cities Workshop). The results of a survey indicated that this method and technology could significantly aid in participatory and collaborative processes. Further understanding of how urban digital twins support urban planners, urban designers, and the general public as a collaboration and communication tool and for decision support allows us to be more intentional when creating smart cities and sustainable cities with the help of digital twins. We conclude the paper with a discussion of the presented results and further research directions.

Exploring applicability, interoperability and integrability of Blockchain-based digital twins for asset life cycle management

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Santi Götz ◽  
Patrik Karlsson ◽  
Ibrahim Yitmen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Life Cycle Management ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Current Asset ◽  
User Expectations ◽  
Technological Platform

PurposeThe blockchain-based digital twin has been recognized as a prominent technological ecosystem featuring synergies with both established and emergent information management practice. The purpose of this research is to explore the applicability, interoperability and integrability of a blockchain-based digital twin for asset life cycle management and develop a model of framework which positions the digital twin within a broader context of current management practice and technological availability.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was performed to map use cases of digital twin, IoT, blockchain and smart contract technologies. Surveys of industry professionals and analyses were conducted focussing on the mapped use cases' life cycle–centric applicability, interoperability and integrability with current asset life cycle management practice, exploring decision support capabilities and industry insights. Lastly, a model of framework was developed based on the use case, interoperability and integrability findings.FindingsThe results support approaching digitization initiatives with blockchain-based digital twins and the positioning of the concept as both a strategic tool and a multifunctional on-field support application. Integrability enablers include progression towards BIM level 3, decentralized program hubs, modular cross-technological platform interfaces, as well as mergeable and scalable blockchains.Practical implicationsKnowledge of use cases help highlight the functionality of an integrated technological ecosystem and its connection to comprehensive sets of asset life cycle management aspects. Exploring integrability enablers contribute to the development of management practice and solution development as user expectations and technological prerequisites are interlinked.Originality/valueThe research explores asset life cycle management use cases, interoperability and integrability enablers of blockchain-based digital twins and positions the technological ecosystem within current practice and technological availability.

scholarly journals Sustainable Development of Smart Manufacturing Driven by the Digital Twin Framework: A Statistical Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10139
Author(s):  
Vivek Warke ◽  
Satish Kumar ◽  
Arunkumar Bongale ◽  
Ketan Kotecha
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Enabling Technologies ◽  
Research Theme

The Fourth Industrial Revolution drives industries from traditional manufacturing to the smart manufacturing approach. In this transformation, existing equipment, processes, or devices are retrofitted with some sensors and other cyber-physical systems (CPS), and adapted towards digital production, which is a blend of critical enabling technologies. In the current scenario of Industry 4.0, industries are shaping themselves towards the development of customized and cost-effective processes to satisfy customer needs with the aid of a digital twin framework, which enables the user to monitor, simulate, control, optimize, and identify defects and trends within, ongoing process, and reduces the chances of human prone errors. This paper intends to make an appraisal of the literature on the digital twin (DT) framework in the domain of smart manufacturing with the aid of critical enabling technologies such as data-driven systems, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and deep learning. This paper also focuses on the concept, evolution, and background of digital twin and the benefits and challenges involved in its implementation. The Scopus and Web of Science databases from 2016 to 2021 were considered for the bibliometric analysis and used to study and analyze the articles that fall within the research theme. For the systematic bibliometric analysis, a novel approach known as Proknow-C was employed, including a series of procedures for article selection and filtration from the existing databases to get the most appropriate articles aligned with the research theme. Additionally, the authors performed statistical and network analyses on the articles within the research theme to identify the most prominent research areas, journal/conference, and authors in the field of a digital twin. This study identifies the current scenarios, possible research gaps, challenges in implementing DT, case studies and future research goals within the research theme.

scholarly journals DIGITAL TWIN FOR INDOOR DISASTER IN SMART CITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

2022 ◽  
Vol XLVI-4/W3-2021 ◽  
pp. 315-322
Author(s):  
S. Shaharuddin ◽  
K. N. Abdul Maulud ◽  
S. A. F. Syed Abdul Rahman ◽  
A. I. Che Ani
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Environmental Disaster ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Recent Developments

Abstract. Technology has advanced and progressed tremendously, and the term city is being elevated to a new level where the smart city has been introduced globally. Recent developments in the concept of smart city have led to a renewed interest in Digital Twin. Using precise Building Information Modelling (BIM) consolidated with big data and sensors, several attempts have been made to establish digital twin smart cities. In recent years, several researchers have sought to determine the capability of smart city and digital twin for various taxonomies such as development and urban planning purposes, built environment, manufacturing, environmental, disaster management, and healthcare. Despite being beneficial in many disciplines, especially in manufacturing, built environment, and urban planning, these existing studies have shown a lack of aspect in terms of emergency or disaster-related as opposed to the elements mentioned above. This is because the researcher has not treated emergencies or disasters in much detail. Therefore, an extensive review on smart city, digital twin, BIM and disaster management and technology that revolves around these terms were summarised. In general, 39 articles from prominent multidisciplinary databases were retrieved over the last two decades based on the suggested PRISMA workflow. These final articles were analysed and categorised into four themes based on the research content, gist, and keywords. Based on the review of 39 articles related to smart city, digital twin and BIM, a workflow for the smart city digital twin and the conceptual framework for indoor disaster management was proposed accordingly. The establishment of smart city digital twins solely for an indoor emergency can be beneficial to urbanites, and it could provide numerous benefits for enhanced situation assessment, decision making, coordination, and resource allocation.

scholarly journals Urban Digital Twins – A FIWARE-based model

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 1106-1115
Author(s):  
Martin Bauer ◽  
Flavio Cirillo ◽  
Jonathan Fürst ◽  
Gürkan Solmaz ◽  
Ernö Kovacs
Keyword(s):  
Smart City ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Reference Model ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Data Exchange Platform ◽  
City Community ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
The City ◽  
Different Time Scales

Abstract This article describes the use of digital twins for smart cities, i. e., the Urban Digital Twin (UDTw) concept. It shows how UDTws can be realized using the open source components from the FIWARE ecosystem that are already used in more than 200 cities worldwide. The used NGSI-LD standard is supported by the European Connecting Europe Facility, the Open and Agile Smart City community, the Indian Urban Data Exchange platform, and the Japanese Smart City Reference Model. Unlike digital twins in other domains, e. g., manufacturing, where digital twins are co-developed with their physical counterparts, UDTws often evolve driven by different stakeholders, on different time scales, as well as by utilizing many different data sources from the city. This article builds on a well-established lifecycle model for Digital Twins and combines this with a conceptual model for digital twins consisting of data, reactive, predictive and forecasting (“what if”) digital twin functionalities. The article also describes how AI-based technologies can be used to extract knowledge to build the UDTws from the IoT-based infrastructure of a smart city.

scholarly journals ARCHITECTURE OF THE INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT OF DIGITAL TWIN FOR CONTINUOUS PROCESSES

2021 ◽  
pp. 98-104
Author(s):  
Dmitry Yu. Petrov ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Life Cycle Management ◽  
Automated Control ◽  
Continuous Processes ◽  
Digital Twin ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship of the Industry 4.0 concept with cyber-physical systems and digital twins is described. The analysis of the capabilities of modern information systems of discrete and continuous production for the creation of digital twins of production is presented. The stages of creating a digital twin of production are proposed, taking into account the requirements of standards for the development of automated control systems for continuous technological processes. Using the use case diagram, the functionality and requirements for the subsystems of the information system are determined. The architecture of the information system for managing the life cycle of a continuous technological process was developed.

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